Tiedown buckle



June 25, 1968 G. H. JANTZEN TIEDOWN BUCKLE Filed Dec. 6, 1965 4l INVENTOR. GEORGE H. JANfTZEN United States Patent O 3,389,440 'HEDUWN BUCKLE George H. Jantzen, New York, NY., assigner to M.

Steinthal & Co. Inc., New York, NX., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 511,699 Claims. (Cl. 24-196) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A buckle for tensioning belts. A belt passe-s between a pair of clamping bars which are each movable towards and away from each other and lis looped about one of them. Actuation of the buckle cover brings the other bar sufficiently close to the looped one to facilitate snubber action on the belt and a stop facilitates separation of the bars upon opposite actuation of the cover.

This invention relates to tiedown buckles for cargo and more particularly to the type of 4buckle used to tension various load webbings to hold loads firmly in place.

In cargo transport in trucks and railroad cars, load control systems are employed for securing the `cargo in place inside the vehicle so that the cargo is not damaged. Generally, these systems employ nylon belts secured at end fittings to tracks along the vehicle walls. Tiedown buckles enable the belts to be placed around the load and pulled up tightly. Ticdown buckles are also use-ful wherever object-s are to be secured in place to a wall track, to a door itting or elsewhere.

Tiedown buckles should have high load bearing strength and should release easily. They should be convenient to operate and be able to withstand rough use and direct impacts.

Tiedown buckles known in the art tend to be unduly complicated and are ill-designed to withstand the rough handling involved in tiedown work. Where some thought is given to durability, these buckles sacrifice even more important considerations by being subject to false triggering, to wearing the webbing, to slippage and to inability to hold the webbing under heavy load conditions.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved tiedown buckle which satisfies all of these criteria without introducing other deiiciencies.

Another object of this invention is to allow slack in webbing to be taken up and to permit considerable tension to be applied to the webbing and to hold the webbing without slipping under heavy load and intermittent or continuous vibration conditions of the kind experienced in a truck or railroad car or an airplane.

A further object of the invention is to provide a strong buckle which has a minimum of parts and can withstand very rough treatment without affecting its proper functioning. These objects are most satisfactorily accomplished in the present invention.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a tiedown buckle having a pair of moveable snubbing elements. When the snubbing elements are moved apart, the webbing can be pulled through the buckle easily in either direction. The belt can be lengthened or the slack in the belt easily taken up. When the belt is clamped between the snubbing elements the buckle will hold the belt firmly in one direction while permitting the belt to be pulled through the buckle in the opposite direction. In this condition, the slack can be taken up further and a heavy load condition maintained.

It is another feature of this invention to place the snubbing elements relatively close together and to lock them closed yby a cam mechanism operated by closure of the buckle cover plate. In the closed position the webbing Btiddd Patented Jurre 25, 1968 may be pulled through in only one direction and large tensions can be applied to the webbing. The buckle will hold the 'belt -rmly against slipping.

It is yet a further feature of this invention to provide a locking means suflicient to hold the cover plate closed. The cover plate operates to Irelease the webbing only when it is intentionally pulled outwardy from the buckle. and false triggering will not occur.

These objects and features are accomplished by a takeup buckle which is comprised of a frame Vhaving spaced side members or walls. A pair of snubbing elements or clamping members are connected to the side members so as to .slide to and away from each other. The travel of the first snubber in the direction of the second is limited by a stop and means are provided for actuating the second snubber towards the rst a distance suiiicient t0 clamp a belt passing between the-m and around the first snubber, when the torce on the belt urges the first snubber towards the second. Additionally, means hold the actuator in its clamping position until theuser intentionally opens the buckle.

These and other objects and features of the invention will be readily understood from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings in which:

FIGURE l is an isometric view of the buckle assembly in the closed position with the cover plate partially cut away showing the snubbing elements.

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of the 4buckle assembly in the open position.

FGURE 3 is a sectional view of the buckle in the closed position taken through section lines 3--3 of FIG- URE l.

Referrinfr to FIGURE l, a tiedown buckle in its closed or locked position is shown generally at it); The buckle is comprised of a frame k11 which has spaced parallel side walls 12 running longitudinally along its long side. Cover or locking member 13 is attached to the frame 11 at its extending overhanging portions 11ithrough pivot pin 1S, and pivot -holes 2i) and 21 in the cover 13 and frame 11 respectively. Beveled portions 22 on the side walls 12 act to limit the pivot angle of the cover 13. Side walls 12 have pairs of opposed slots 16 and 17 running longitudinally. Positioned across the frame 11 and mounted slideably in the pairs of slots 16 and 17 are snubber or clamping members 18 and 19 respectively. Snu'blber member 18 has two serrated surfaces 39 and di? and snubber member 19 has a serrated surface 4d.

The overhanging portions 14 of the cover 13 have camming coniigurations 23, and indents 24. lndents 24 cooperate with corresponding indents 25 on the side walls 12 to snap the cover 13 shut and locked in its closed position overlying the frame 11.

The belt webbing 26 is attached permanently to the buckle 10 at one end through slots 27 and 28. The 'belt webbing 29 is threaded through the clamping members 18 and 19 in a manner to be described with reference to FIGURE 3.

Shown also in FIGURE l, are the end fittings 3l) which anchor the belt webbing at desired positions in tracks along the vehicle walls. These end `fittings or strap connectors 30 form part of my copending patent application Ser. No. 489,096 filed Sept. l, 1965.

The snubber or clamping members 18 and 19 are designed so as not to rotate in their respective slots 16 and 17. As shown in FIGURE 3, this is accomplished economically by spot welding together pairs of steel rods 31 and 32 and 33, 34 at several weld lplaces 35 along the rods. The lirst snubber 18 is staked at several places at its end to keep from sliding out of the slots 1:3. ln the second snubber 19, the rod 33 extends out of the side walls 12 so as to act cooperatively in cam and follower relationship with the camming configuration 23 on the cover 13.

Referring again to FIGURE 3, the permanently attached belt webbing 26, is threaded through the slots 27 :and 28. The portion of the Aframe 36 between these slots is ribbed to -give extra loading strength to this portion of the buckle to make it compatible with the loading capability of the entire buckle.

Viewing the three figures, the operation `of the buckle can now be described.

The belt webbing 29 is threaded between the clamping or snubber members 18 and 19, around member 18 and out the end of the buckle through which is entered. The snubber members 18 and 19 are slideab-le towards and away from each other -in slots 16 and 17. The cover 13 lis pivotable between ian open or unlocked position 4as shown in FIGURE 2 and a yclosed or locked position overlying the frame 11 as shownin FIGURES 1 and 3. In the open position, the camming configurations 23 are oriented so as not to actuate the snubbing member 19 towards snu-bbing member 18. The belt webbing 29 can slide easily between the snubbing members 18 and 19 and can be pulled through the buckle 10 in either direction as shown by the two headed .arrow in FIGURE 2. A stop, which in this case is the wall material 37 between the slots 16 and 17 prevents the snubbing member 18 from being actuated by a load which may be on the belt webbing 29 into clamping contact towards the snubbing member 19. In this condition, the belt can be lengthened or the slack in the belt easily taken up.

To tension the belt around an object being held in place, the cover 13 is pivoted to its closed position overlying the frame 11, :as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3. The cover 13 serves :as the means for actuating the snubbing member 19 towards the snubbing member 18. In the closed position the camming conguration 23 rotates to its fully actuating position 42 and actuates snubbing member 19 a sufficient distance towards snubbing member 18 to clamp the belt webbing 29 which passes between them. Belt webbing 29 passes ybetween the snubbing members tand around snubbing member 18. In this case, the loaded webbing of the belt is the under webbing 38. Any load on the under webbing 38 urges the snubbing member 18 towards snubbing member 19 and clamps the belt webbing 29 tightly between them along their respective serrated surfaces 39 and 40. Increasing the load on the under webbing 38 .serves to further tighten the clamp and to hold the load even more firmly. The serrated surfaces 39 and 40 lcooperate to `grip the belt webbing 29 between them yand the serrated surface 42 prevents the belt webbing 38 from slipping around the snubb'ing member 18 and aids in urging the snubbing member 18 towards snubbing member 19.

On the other hand, the upper webbing 41 of the belt lcan be pulled through the snubbing members in the `direction of the :arrow shown in FIGURE 1 so as to take up any slack in the belt and to tension the belt to tie down Ian object being held in place. The above described action is called snubber action.

Under tests, the tiedown buckle as described herein has withstood considerably greater loads than other tiedown buckles known `in the art. Moreover, .the buckle has proven to be extremely trouble free, rugged and easy to use. It can be released easily by simply raising the actuator cover 13 enough to rotate the cam conliguration 23 from its fully actuating position 42. Though the buckle is easy to release, the cooperating indents 24 and 25 keep a positive lock on the buckle and prevent accidental triggering. The cover 13 provides a good shield for the few moving parts and can withstand direct impacting without the buckle -being rendered inoperative. Moreover, the snubber :arrangement has shown to cause less wear on the belt webbings than other buckles.

A specific embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail herein. However,

it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and the teachings of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A take lup buckle comprising ya frame having spaced side members, ii-rst and second clamping members sli-deably connected to said side members and slideable towards and away from each other, said first clamping member -being adapted to have a belt pass therearound to urge said first clamping member in the direction of said second clamping member, stop means for limiting the travel of said first clamping member in the direction of said second clamping member, :and means for actuating said second clamping member towards said rst clamping member a distance 4suiicient to clamp a be-lt passing between them :and around said rst clamping member when the force on said belt urges said iirst clamping member towards said second clamping member.

2. A take up buckle as claimed in claim 1, in which said side members comprise a pair of side walls having opposed longitudinal slots therein and said clamping members are slideab'le in said slots.

3. A take up buckle as claimed in claim 1, in which said actuating means comprises a locking member mounted to said frame .and pivotable between a lock position and an unlock position, said locking member having actuating portions extending therefrom of a design adapted to cooperate with said second clamping member to actuate `said second clamping member toward-s said irst :clamping member when said locking member is pivoted towards its lock position.

4. A take up buckle as claimed in claim 1, in which said actuating means comprises a cover member connected to said frame and pivotable towards and iaway from a position overlying said frame, said cover member having camming portions extending therefrom and adapted to actuate said second clamping member in cam and fol-lower relation towards said irst clamping member when said cover member -is pivoted towards the position overlying said frame.

5. A take up buckle as claimed in claim 3, in which .said locking member and said frame are provided with cooperating means for holding said locking member in the lock position.

6. A take up buckle :as claimed in claim 4 in which said cover member and said frame are provided with cooperating means for hold-ing said cover in the position overlying said frame.

7. A tie down buckle for taking up the slack in a belt comprising `a frame having spaced side walls having opposed longitudinal slots therein, first and second cooperating snubber members slideable in said slots towards and away from eac-h other, said iirst snubber member being adapted to have a belt pass therearound to urge said first snubber member in the direction of said second snubber member, stop means ion said frame for limiting the travel of said rst snubber member in the direction of said second snubber member, land a locking member mounted to said frame `and pivotable thereon between a lock and unlock position, said locking member having Iactuating portions extending therefrom of a design adapted to cooperate with said second snubber member to actuate said second snubber member towards said irst snubber member to la position sutlicient'ly close to effect snubber action on a belt passing around said rst snubber member Iand between said first and second snubber members when said locking member is pivoted towards said lock position. l g

8. A tiedown buckle as claimed in claim m which said first and second snubber members comprise nonrotating cross members eacih having `a serrated surface portion thereon disposed towards the other.

9. A slack take up buckle comprising a frame member having spaced side walls, said walls having rst and second pairs of opposed longitudinal slots therein, a first cross member slideably mounted between said walls in `sai-d first pair of opposed slots, a second cross member slideably mounted between said walls in said second pair of opposed slots :and having en-d portions which extend therethrough, said first cross member being adapted to have a belt pass therearound to urge said rst cross member in `the direction of said second cross member, said pairs of opposed slots being lspaced suiciently close to permit said cross members to clamp a belt passing between them when said second cross member is actuated to a position in said sec-ond pair of slots near said first pair of slots, and an actuating member pivotably connected to said frame member and pivotable to and away from a position overlying said fname member, said actuating member having means thereon adapted to contact said extending end portions of said second cross member and to actuate said second cross member near to said first pair of slots when said actuating member is pivoted to overlie .said fra-me member to clamp a belt webbing pass- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,977,655 4/ 1961 Peters 24-196 3,013,318 12/ 1961 IDavis 24-196 3,131,446 5/1964 Davis 24-77 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Examiner.

E. SIMONSEN, Assistant Examiner. 

